:: Entrepreneurs Foundation of Hawaii ::

Board of Directors

John C. Dean, Chairman

Leigh-Ann Miyasato, President

William K. Richardson, Vice President

John C. Dean

John is Managing General Partner of Startup Capital Ventures, a Silicon Valley-based venture fund. He has 20 years of experience as CEO of five financial services companies. Most recently, from 1993 to 2001, he served as the CEO of Silicon Valley Bank, a leading provider of financial services to early-stage technology companies and venture capital firms. John grew Silicon Valley Bank's market capitalization from $65 million in 1993 to over $3 billion in 2000. Also, he led the creation of the company's own venture investment business, with the launch of the company's first two venture capital funds in 2000. This included a $150 million fund of funds, and a $65 million direct equity fund. In 1997, Business Week recognized John as one of Silicon Valley's top 25 "movers and shakers" and, in 2001, Forbes ranked him as one of the "50 most powerful dealmakers." In 2001, Fortune ranked Silicon Valley Bank, under John's leadership, among the "100 Fastest-Growing Companies" based on growth in revenues, earnings per share, and total market return over three years.

John also has many years of experience investing in technology companies. He has served as Managing Director of Tuputele Ventures Fund, LLC, a small private equity fund investing in early-stage technology companies and venture capital funds. He is an investment director for various venture capital firms, both in the U.S. and overseas, including Advanced Technology Venture (ATV), Institutional Venture Fund (IVP), Walden International, Leapfrog Ventures, and Authosis Capital. John serves as an advisor or director of various technology companies, including EzRez Software, H-5 Technologies, and BioImagene. John was a founding director of the Entrepreneurs Foundation in Silicon Valley and for a six-month period during 2001-2002, was its interim CEO.

Leigh-Ann Miyasato

Leigh-Ann is Vice President of DragonBridge Capital, LLC, a merchant bank that helps Chinese technology, life sciences, and clean tech companies with capital formation, joint ventures, M&A, venture capital, and other private equity needs. She also has more than 10 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. She was formerly Executive Director of HiBEAM, an accelerator for early stage Hawai`i technology companies. She was the founding Program Director of the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies in Washington, D.C. as well as the Washington, D.C. lobbyist for the Japanese American Citizens League.

Previously, Leigh-Ann was an attorney concentrating on commercial and other civil litigation. She was counsel to Alston Hunt Floyd & Ing in Honolulu, of counsel to Fujiyama, Duffy & Fujiyama in Honolulu, and a partner in Erickson, Beasley & Hewitt in San Francisco (now Erickson, Beasley, Hewitt & Wilson in Oakland). She is a graduate of Stanford University and the University of California at Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall).

William K. Richardson

Bill Richardson has been a general partner of HMS Hawai`i Management, the General Partner of the leading VC funds in Hawai`i, since 1994. He is a graduate of UC Santa Barbara and Duke University School of Law, and a former national caliber volleyball player. Prior to founding HMS Hawai`i Management, Bill was a Hawai`i attorney specializing in commercial law and finance. He also worked nine years in various sales and marketing capacities for Wang Laboratories. Bill is currently the Chairman of the Board for Pacific DirectConnect, a WiFi integration company; Kona Bay Marine Resources, a marine biotech company; and Hawai`i Biotech, a bio-therapeutic company. He was formerly on the Boards of Wireless (now interWAVE Communications International) and HealthScape (now VirtualSeller.com), and a board visitor to Digital Island (now Cable & Wireless). Bill is an active investor/mentor in Hoku Scientific, a fuel cell company; Firetide, a WiFi equipment builder; and Hoana Medical, a medical device company.

Bill was the founding co-chair of University Connections, and a founder and current President of HiBEAM (a virtual incubator). Bill’s community connections include six years as a trustee of the University of Hawai`i Foundation, five years on the Board of the National Kidney Foundation, and current board member of the Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship and E-Business and the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Hawai`i.

John C. Bower

John, a Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Sennet Capital, has 20 years of business experience managing high growth companies. Prior to Sennet Capital, John served as the CFO and COO at Hawaii Biotech where he helped to secure over $50 million in equity and grant funding.

John came to Hawaii from Chicago where he co-founded and operated HealthRev, a national healthcare front office outsourcing company. In less than three years, John expanded HealthRev to ten states, over two hundred employees and $5 million in annual cash flow. In 1999 John sold HealthRev to a Chicago-based private equity firm where he remained for two years to assist in the transition. The sale resulted in a 15 times return for investors. Prior to HealthRev, John was a founder and Managing Director of a boutique investment company that specialized in debt and equity funding for start-ups and high growth companies throughout the United States.

John serves on the boards of several Hawaii and Mainland companies. He graduated with honors with his BS and MBA from Cornell University.

Terrence R. George

Terry is Executive Director of the Harold K. L. Castle Foundation, where he is responsible for grantmaking processes in all program areas, which include but are not limited to public education enhancement and redesign, near-shore marine resource conservation, and the development of vibrant communities in Windward Oahu. Through its grantmaking, the Foundation invests upwards of $6 million a year to build resources for Hawaii’s future.

Terry was previously Chief Program Officer at the Consuelo Alger Foundation. During his five-year tenure there, he oversaw the completion of construction at a successful self-help housing neighborhood in Waianae, the launching of the Ways to Work Family Loan Program, and the creation of more than $140,000 of assets for low-income families through Individual Development Accounts. He also provided key support for the establishment of the Child-at-Risk Evaluation (CARE) Program to document child abuse injuries and prevent further abuse.

Terry’s foundation experience includes nine years overseas with the Ford Foundation. He served as the Foundation’s program officer for human rights and governance in the Philippines. From his base in Manila, he traveled the length of the archipelago, implementing a grantmaking strategy to increase the capacity of the poor and other disadvantaged groups to use the legal process and democratic institutions to protect and promote their rights and to improve the government’s responsiveness to their needs. He then lived in New Delhi while managing the Foundation’s portfolios in governance and international cooperation in South Asia. He was responsible for the design and execution of research, policy analysis, and dialogue programs to reduce the risks of war and promote greater security and cooperation among the seven nations of South Asia. He also reshaped the Ford Foundation’s strategy of grantmaking in the field of rural local governance in India.

Terry is a graduate of Punahou School. He received degrees in International Relations at Stanford University and Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He currently serves on the boards of the Kailua Chamber of Commerce and the National Kidney Foundation of Hawaii.

Jerry Rauckhorst

Since 1995, Jerry Rauckhorst has been Chief Executive Officer of Catholic Charities Hawai`i, a statewide $21 million organization with over 300 professional staff members providing services to 27,000 persons annually. Jerry was previously Director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and held several leadership positions at the Federation of Catholic Community Services in Cleveland , Ohio . He serves as Chair of the Hawai`i Community Services Council, on the Advisory Board of the Hogan Entrepreneurs Program at Chaminade University , and on several committees at Aloha United Way . He is also on the Steering Committee of Directors for Catholic Charities USA. He previously served as Treasurer and board member of Catholic Charities USA.

Jan Sullivan

Jan Sullivan is Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer of Oceanit, a local science and engineering company. EF Hawai`i company Hoana Medical was spun off from Oceanit in 2001. Jan, an attorney, specialized in land use law and went on to serve as director of the Department of Land Utilization and later as the director of the Department of Planning and Permitting. She now manages technology, research, development and engineering at Oceanit. She is also a founding member of the Mutual Housing Association, a non-profit that owns low-income rentals and develops and manages programs for its residents. She was formerly chair of HCDA, the authority that oversees the redevelopment of Kaka`ako, was a board member for Homeless Aloha and Parents and Children Together, and is currently a member of the Honolulu Charter Commission.